Radiant ranks highly with vegetable growers

In a recent grower satisfaction survey, vegetable growers across the nation reported positive results with Radiant SC insecticide, according to Dow AgroSciences.

Respondents consistently cited the ability of Radiant to combat a broad spectrum of key vegetable pests across a multitude of vegetable crops.

Kevin Short, owner of Integrated Crop Management, Inc. in High Springs, Fla., consults for vegetable growers in the southern tip of Florida. He has had success with Radiant in controlling spodopteran pests across numerous vegetable crops.

“We’ve had a lot of success with Radiant controlling armyworms in peppers, tomatoes, cucurbits, leafy vegetables, cabbage and sweet corn,” Short says. “Also, it’s excellent in a resistance management program. It’s a chemistry unlike any other we have on the market right now, making it a perfect fit in a rotation.”

Surveys were mailed to vegetable growers who purchased Radiant, asking them to rank the effectiveness of Radiant insecticide in controlling numerous pests. Respondents ranked the control of worms, thrips and leafminer on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing least satisfied and 5 representing most satisfied.

“This survey was conducted to compare real-world results with the results we saw in field and university trials,” says Tom Linnen, marketing specialist for Dow AgroSciences. “The responses from the growers echoed the superb results we saw in product-testing trials across the country.”

Below are the average scores growers gave Radiant for efficacy in controlling key pests on their farms:

• Worms — 4.4.

• Thrips — 4.2.

• Leafminer — 4.2.

• Overall satisfaction — 4.4.

Additionally, a grower’s likeliness to recommend Radiant received an average score of 4.5 among the 288 responses. Steve Cargil, who grows cabbage, onions, broccoli and cantaloupe in Uvalde, Texas, was among those that recommended Radiant.

“I would highly recommend Radiant,” Cargil says. “It’s a newer technology that has integrated real well into our program. Radiant has brought our costs per unit down and has increased our yields because we don’t have the pest pressure. It definitely marked a big improvement in our operation.”

Cargil names thrips and diamondback moth as the culprits that have plagued him in the past. Those pests have moved on since he began rotating Radiant SC insecticide into his pest management program. “Diamondbacks and thrips are no longer an issue for us,” Cargil says. “Controlling diamondback moths saved us.”

David Fohn, who grows spinach, cucumbers, carrots and green beans in Hondo, Texas, also had success with Radiant.

“Growers want to know the bottom line, and the bottom line is that Radiant works,” Fohn says. “It’s important to grow a crop and to be able to harvest that crop. Radiant was a good investment for us because it allowed us to harvest our crops.”

Radiant provides fast knockdown of a broad spectrum of damaging pests, including loopers, armyworms, thrips, leafminers and diamondback moth. The long residual of Radiant SC insecticide provides sharp, consistent protection of these pests between sprays.

Growers should always read and follow label directions and consult the label before purchase to determine the class of insecticide.